


Starting the Connections

by hysteria



Series: One Slip of the Knife [4]
Category: Whitechapel (TV)
Genre: Low Self Esteem, M/M, Self Harm, Triggers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-21
Updated: 2012-09-21
Packaged: 2017-11-14 18:46:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/518374
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hysteria/pseuds/hysteria
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Weeks have gone by and Kent finds his method of de-stressing himself still help to control his thoughts and feelings. But he's found something the others haven't within the case.</p><p>[Warning - Contains self harm and other triggers]</p>
            </blockquote>





	Starting the Connections

Over the next few weeks, Kent considered not going into work at all. Not wanting to face Chandler and the way he looks at him anymore, the way he made him feel so bad about himself. He also didn’t want to look into the motherly face of Riley and lie to her that everything was fine with him whenever she hugged him, when it clearly was not. But he couldn’t not go in. He didn’t want to lose the job he cared so much about, or let the team down who he’d do anything for.

But each day Kent climbs into his shower, with his knife in one hand and adds new cuts to his thigh. It was getting difficult finding space to put them lately without moving to his other thigh. But the release it gave him helped him cope with work, his thoughts and his feelings. The pain made everything go away, made him feel in control and made him feel better about himself.

Three other bodies had been found since the first behind the hospital, all concealed in areas where no one would really look unless they had good intention of being there. One was found in the underground between Whitechapel and Aldgate. Another was found in the tool shed of a local primary school and the third was found in a shipping container near the docks. Each had been murdered in the same horrific but neat manner with a knife, the same one used with the first murder concluded Llewellyn.

During one specific day, with his leg bandaged up and his limp even worse than before, he went to work two hours early. He’d been doing so every day lately, but he went in even earlier today. The office was empty and quiet, allowing Kent time to stare at the evidence and notes on the endless boards around the room trying to find a link. Anything that would help them track down the murderer, anything for him to get the respect back from the rest of his team, and hopefully one day Chandler.

Riley and Mansell arrive at the office first, followed by Miles and Chandler. Riley gave Kent a hug before they sit back down at their desks. Mansell and Miles gave Kent friendly smiles, but Chandler didn’t even look at him. Kent was getting used to being ignored by his DI by now, pushing down on his cuts whenever he started thinking about him, the pain getting rid of any unwanted thoughts and the ache that still resides in his chest. Kent continues writing notes down with some connections about their latest case, thoughts of Chandler are always present at the back in his mind, no matter how hard he pushes down on his cuts.

It was starting to become another unproductive day until noon when Chandler receives a call telling him there had been another body found, this time behind some houses in Stepney Green Park. Kent was just about to put his coat on with the others when Chandler announces, “Miles, Mansell and Riley, I want you three to come with me. DC Kent stay here and wait for further instructions.” Then they were gone.

“Yes, sir” Kent said to himself, expecting the order but not wanting to believe it was coming. When everyone leaves Buchan comes into the office and gazes at the boards. “Has Joe thought about a connection in the way in which the bodies were cut? From what I’ve been reading, through the old files, is that sometimes people cut things in certain and very slightly different ways. It can help identify the profession of the killer. But only the most observant people are able to notice it.” Kent ignores Buchan, scanning over his notes repeatedly until he catches Buchan’s last sentence.

Kent’s eyes light up, as if he’s had a sudden brain wave. Getting up fast pulls and opens a few of Kent’s cuts, but doesn’t care about them as he moves over to Miles’s desk. He grabs a few witness statements. He quickly reads them, eyes flickering from word to word trying to find something in particular. Buchan watches in wonder, “Have I said something Emerson? What are you trying to piece together that the others haven’t?”

“Yes! Buchan, thank you.” Kent chirps, the happiest sounding he’s been in a while. “My pleasure, but what for?” muses Buchan. “The bodies were found in areas that no one regularly looks, so how were the bodies found? By those who were supposed to be there. Witnesses say they saw no one, that’s because no one should have been around there anyway” Kent starts. “Yes. But Emerson, where are you going with this?” questions Buchan before Kent continues, “I mean, no one was around to see the killer place the bodies, they never saw anyone enter or leave the alleyway to the back of the hospital. Or the Underground, or the tool shed or even the docks! What if the killer placed the body there, aware that no one would see anything?”

Buchan still looks confused as he stares at Kent, who looks back as if Buchan would instinctively know what he was on about. “Buchan just, don’t worry. I know what I’m doing” finishes Kent still happy to have found a break even if Buchan doesn’t understand it. Buchan slowly turns and walks out the office leaving Kent on his own again, reading over endless notes that he has made and the notes from the evidence board.

Kent doesn’t notice when the others come back, nearly 5 hours later. He’s made some links to the murder sites, but can find nothing on the connection between the victims. Kent only acknowledges the return of his team when Riley taps him on the shoulder making him jump. “Calm down Kent, it’s only me. I called your name from across the room but you didn’t hear me” Riley says. “Sorry, I was reading some notes. Did you find anything from the scene and body?” Kent questions. “No, nothing. Llewellyn said that it was the same murderer though, used the same knife to make the same precise and neat cuts to the body again.” Kent doesn’t reply, but scrunches his face up in frustration before rubbing it with his hands. Riley pats his arm before sitting back on her chair and leaning back, copying Mansell and Miles.

Chandler tells everyone to go home, he’s clearly more frustrated at getting nowhere near the murderer than the others. The past cases have proved he’s an efficient DI, but he’s never caught the suspect. Kent ponders this as well as debating whether or not to tell his DI the connection he’s made to the locations of the murders and the possible connection between the victims. He knows he should, but he can’t bring himself to face the man that makes him feel so low that in order to feel happy about himself and to control his feelings for him he has to harm himself.

To stop himself thinking anymore Kent pushes down on his cuts. The more he creates, the more pain and thoughts he could get rid of, at least that’s what he’s convinced himself to believe. He busies himself with packing his things away, including ‘borrowing’ a few of the notes from the evidence board to read when he gets home.

When Kent gets home he stumbles through the door, the extraneous movement from the day has taken their toll on his cuts that have bled through his bandage, Kent notices when he goes to replace it. Instead of going to sleep he lies in his boxers on his bed reading through all the notes he’s brought home. But all the work is taking its toll on Kent’s overworked mind and all he can think of is Chandler.

He has nights like this, and he knows how he can deal with it. But he thinks to himself “No, not tonight. I need to focus on finding this murderer and finishing linking the victims.” Kent continues reading well into the early hours of the morning, falling asleep at around 4:30am. He writes one last word in bold letters in his notebook before he drifts off, ‘MORGUE.’

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry this is nearly a week overdue.  
> I wanted to plan the murders so that they were all connected.


End file.
